Josh Close
Josh Close reports on top-level motorcycle racing for Motor Cycle News, with a focus on the competitive and human stakes of the sport. His work centres on MotoGP, the British Superbike Championship and major road racing events, combining day-to-day sports coverage with substantial print projects. He sits on the sport and features desk, giving him a broad remit across news and longer-form pieces in the racing calendar.
British Superbike Championship season coverage
British Superbike is a core strand of Close’s beat, and he invests in it through extended preview coverage as well as regular reporting. He has contributed to major print projects such as a 32-page Bennetts British Superbike Championship season preview, positioning his work as a reference point for the series’ upcoming campaigns. That kind of season curtain-raiser signals an emphasis on setting the narrative for the year ahead, pulling together form, machinery and paddock storylines into a single package for Motor Cycle News readers.
His ongoing focus on BSB ensures that the domestic superbike championship sits alongside MotoGP and other global series in the masthead’s sports mix.
MotoGP and grand prix reporting
Close tracks the MotoGP world championship and its leading manufacturers as part of his sports brief.
His professional updates flag work associated with MotoGP and Ducati’s grand prix programme, underlining his interest in the series’ factory teams and front-running riders. As a sports reporter on the Motor Cycle News desk, he follows the season across its major milestones, covering race weekends and developments that matter to a readership focused on top-tier motorcycle racing.
The combination of grand prix reporting and British Superbike coverage gives his portfolio a clear emphasis on high-performance, circuit-based competition.
Isle of Man TT and road racing news
Road racing is another strand of Close’s work, and his coverage of the Isle of Man TT brings the risks and consequences of the sport into sharp relief. His report on the qualifying incident that led to the death of Daniel Ingham at the 2026 TT shows him handling a difficult story with a direct, factual approach, focused on the event, the rider and the official information available. The combination of TT reporting with his circuit racing work gives him a view of motorcycle sport that spans closed-road courses and permanent tracks, and places rider safety, race control decisions and event organisation alongside results and lap times.
Sports desk role and format
Close works within the sport and features section of Motor Cycle News, credited as a sports reporter in the masthead listings. That position anchors him in the core racing coverage of the publication, while also connecting him to feature-led projects such as season previews and special issues. His output spans short, timely news reports and longer pieces that map out championships before a wheel turns, giving teams, riders and events consistent attention across the year. The through-line is a straight, unfussy style applied to the main professional motorcycle racing series, with an emphasis on clear information over opinion or colour.
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Aidan Macdonald
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